Ben Neill
@drengur.bsky.social
Australian recently moved to the midlands. software engineer and wannabe historian. probably cares too much about politics.
Reposted by Ben Neill
This is true, but:
1) there has to be an existing market to take over (Uber)
2) there has to be suppressed demand for the service offered, which you can lock in to create an economy of scale and then profit (Amazon)
AI firms are trying to find one of those two things, so far with limited success.
1) there has to be an existing market to take over (Uber)
2) there has to be suppressed demand for the service offered, which you can lock in to create an economy of scale and then profit (Amazon)
AI firms are trying to find one of those two things, so far with limited success.
One claim I really don't understand about AI is the idea that it'll go away because they're all losing money. Losing money while building a product is just normal company behavior? You borrow and lose money to try to make a thing and/or control the market, and then you angle for sustainable profit.
July 20, 2025 at 7:20 AM
This is true, but:
1) there has to be an existing market to take over (Uber)
2) there has to be suppressed demand for the service offered, which you can lock in to create an economy of scale and then profit (Amazon)
AI firms are trying to find one of those two things, so far with limited success.
1) there has to be an existing market to take over (Uber)
2) there has to be suppressed demand for the service offered, which you can lock in to create an economy of scale and then profit (Amazon)
AI firms are trying to find one of those two things, so far with limited success.
The mechanical Turk strikes again.
Even Microsoft invested huge amounts of money in this AI startup scam
techstory.in/ai-firm-decl...
Even Microsoft invested huge amounts of money in this AI startup scam
techstory.in/ai-firm-decl...
June 6, 2025 at 8:10 AM
The mechanical Turk strikes again.
Even Microsoft invested huge amounts of money in this AI startup scam
techstory.in/ai-firm-decl...
Even Microsoft invested huge amounts of money in this AI startup scam
techstory.in/ai-firm-decl...
Reposted by Ben Neill
June 5, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Reposted by Ben Neill
Pure, unadulterated, evil…
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
Clever cockies not only open bins, they can use water fountains too
The behaviour has spread among a mob of more than 100 sulphur-crested cockatoos that roost in the Western Sydney Parklands.
www.abc.net.au
June 4, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Pure, unadulterated, evil…
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
Reposted by Ben Neill
Australia’s centre-left prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has won a second term with a crushing victory over the opposition, whose rightwing leader, Peter Dutton, failed to brush off comparisons with Donald Trump and ended up losing his own seat.
Australia re-elects Anthony Albanese as Labor rides anti-Trump wave to seal crushing win
Opposition leader Peter Dutton fails to dissociate himself from Trump-like rhetoric and policies – and loses his seat
www.theguardian.com
May 3, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Australia’s centre-left prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has won a second term with a crushing victory over the opposition, whose rightwing leader, Peter Dutton, failed to brush off comparisons with Donald Trump and ended up losing his own seat.
Absolutely bizarre mould growing in the Fan Bay deep shelter tunnels in Dover.
Apparently it loves the creosote covered timbers that are used near the entrances.
Apparently it loves the creosote covered timbers that are used near the entrances.
April 28, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Absolutely bizarre mould growing in the Fan Bay deep shelter tunnels in Dover.
Apparently it loves the creosote covered timbers that are used near the entrances.
Apparently it loves the creosote covered timbers that are used near the entrances.
Reposted by Ben Neill
Vance's Easter visit to Rome clogged its streets with a 40-vehicle entourage. He also demanded the Coliseum be closed so he and his family could tour it alone. Tourists who properly booked slots in advance got screwed.
He's apparently the first to make that demand. Then he didn't bother to show up.
He's apparently the first to make that demand. Then he didn't bother to show up.
JD Vance and his forty 4x4s visit the Vatican during trip to Rome
The US vice-president, a self-styled ‘baby Catholic’ who was baptised in 2019, and his family met senior officials from the Catholic Church
www.thetimes.com
April 26, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Vance's Easter visit to Rome clogged its streets with a 40-vehicle entourage. He also demanded the Coliseum be closed so he and his family could tour it alone. Tourists who properly booked slots in advance got screwed.
He's apparently the first to make that demand. Then he didn't bother to show up.
He's apparently the first to make that demand. Then he didn't bother to show up.
Golden...
More in No, Other People:
New poll:
“America would be better off if more people worked in manufacturing.”
• 80% of Americans agree
• 20% disagree
“I would be better off if I worked in a factory.”
• 25% of Americans agree
• 73% disagree
• 2% currently work in a factory
New poll:
“America would be better off if more people worked in manufacturing.”
• 80% of Americans agree
• 20% disagree
“I would be better off if I worked in a factory.”
• 25% of Americans agree
• 73% disagree
• 2% currently work in a factory
April 13, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Golden...
Lawds, the state of coffee in this country is dire. I have...without exaggeration ... had far better coffee from McDonald's in Australia than any of the chain coffee joints here in the UK.
April 5, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Lawds, the state of coffee in this country is dire. I have...without exaggeration ... had far better coffee from McDonald's in Australia than any of the chain coffee joints here in the UK.
Reposted by Ben Neill
What makes my eyes roll about the US is that they have this truly sincere and robust identity of rugged individualism and personal autonomy, with a constitution built around liberty - but no one is ever willing to just go and punch the bully in the face. Weak as piss performative exceptionalism
February 21, 2025 at 1:50 PM
What makes my eyes roll about the US is that they have this truly sincere and robust identity of rugged individualism and personal autonomy, with a constitution built around liberty - but no one is ever willing to just go and punch the bully in the face. Weak as piss performative exceptionalism
Reposted by Ben Neill
As part of the extensive repairs at St James’s, Llangua, the lath and plaster ceilings of the two magnificent medieval wagon roofs are being reinstated.
1/8
1/8
February 20, 2025 at 8:00 AM
As part of the extensive repairs at St James’s, Llangua, the lath and plaster ceilings of the two magnificent medieval wagon roofs are being reinstated.
1/8
1/8
Reposted by Ben Neill
This is the review that got me blacklisted by EA. Some shitbag executive wanted me fired.
February 13, 2025 at 5:08 PM
This is the review that got me blacklisted by EA. Some shitbag executive wanted me fired.
Reposted by Ben Neill
Elon Musk’s DOGE website is so insecure that anyone can add updates to it. One person wrote “THESE ‘EXPERTS’ LEFT THEIR DATABASE OPEN -roro.” www.404media.co/anyone-can-p...
Anyone Can Push Updates to the DOGE.gov Website
"THESE 'EXPERTS' LEFT THEIR DATABASE OPEN."
www.404media.co
February 14, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Elon Musk’s DOGE website is so insecure that anyone can add updates to it. One person wrote “THESE ‘EXPERTS’ LEFT THEIR DATABASE OPEN -roro.” www.404media.co/anyone-can-p...
Reposted by Ben Neill
If you wanted no leaks you should have gone into Settings -> Security -> Configure privacy & security -> Privacy options -> Other -> Configure -> Media interface and clicked “Disallow.”
The Leak setting is on by default but we understand your privacy is important so we’ve made it easy to opt out
The Leak setting is on by default but we understand your privacy is important so we’ve made it easy to opt out
"Everything I say leaks," Zuckerberg says in leaked meeting audio. "It sucks"
www.404media.co/zuckerberg-s...
www.404media.co/zuckerberg-s...
Zuckerberg Says 'Everything I Say Leaks' in Leaked Meeting Audio
"There are a bunch of things that I think are value-destroying for me to talk about, so I’m not going to talk about those."
www.404media.co
January 30, 2025 at 10:07 PM
If you wanted no leaks you should have gone into Settings -> Security -> Configure privacy & security -> Privacy options -> Other -> Configure -> Media interface and clicked “Disallow.”
The Leak setting is on by default but we understand your privacy is important so we’ve made it easy to opt out
The Leak setting is on by default but we understand your privacy is important so we’ve made it easy to opt out
Reposted by Ben Neill
Despite all of the challenges - legal and meteorological - we did it!
After 40 years of damaging deregulation, Greater Manchester has this morning successfully retaken control of the whole its bus network. 🙌🏻
After 40 years of damaging deregulation, Greater Manchester has this morning successfully retaken control of the whole its bus network. 🙌🏻
January 5, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Despite all of the challenges - legal and meteorological - we did it!
After 40 years of damaging deregulation, Greater Manchester has this morning successfully retaken control of the whole its bus network. 🙌🏻
After 40 years of damaging deregulation, Greater Manchester has this morning successfully retaken control of the whole its bus network. 🙌🏻
Reposted by Ben Neill
Fighting a malignant millionaire CEO has brought me and my family on the verge of a very real bankruptcy.
This is not a drill, I genuinely need your help. Please, take a look at my fundraiser and share it if you can.
www.gofundme.com/f/help-disco...
This is not a drill, I genuinely need your help. Please, take a look at my fundraiser and share it if you can.
www.gofundme.com/f/help-disco...
Donate to Help Disco Elysium Writer Survive the Winter, organized by Argo Tuulik
I am Argo Tuulik, one of the key creatives responsible for bringing you the (… Argo Tuulik needs your support for Help Disco Elysium Writer Survive the Winter
www.gofundme.com
December 13, 2024 at 12:03 AM
Fighting a malignant millionaire CEO has brought me and my family on the verge of a very real bankruptcy.
This is not a drill, I genuinely need your help. Please, take a look at my fundraiser and share it if you can.
www.gofundme.com/f/help-disco...
This is not a drill, I genuinely need your help. Please, take a look at my fundraiser and share it if you can.
www.gofundme.com/f/help-disco...
Reposted by Ben Neill
After hearing how eating too much sugar and carbohydrates affects the human body I’ve decided to cut back on the amount of people I listen to
December 31, 2024 at 2:05 PM
After hearing how eating too much sugar and carbohydrates affects the human body I’ve decided to cut back on the amount of people I listen to
Reposted by Ben Neill
To avoid automatically using AI in every Google search thanks to their no-one-asked-for-this AI summaries, you can type -ai or &udm=14 in the search terms. Or you can switch your default search engine (I switched to Duck Duck Go, which has the added benefit of being private).
"A request made through ChatGPT, an AI-based virtual assistant, consumes 10 times the electricity of a Google Search"
This isn't a game. This is accelerated destruction via huge usage of power, water, resources etc. Stop using it - especially for messing about!!
www.unep.org/news-and-sto...
This isn't a game. This is accelerated destruction via huge usage of power, water, resources etc. Stop using it - especially for messing about!!
www.unep.org/news-and-sto...
AI has an environmental problem. Here’s what the world can do about that.
The sprawling data centres that house AI servers churn out toxic electronic waste and are voracious consumers of electricity, which in most places is still produced from fossil fuels.
www.unep.org
December 28, 2024 at 3:23 PM
To avoid automatically using AI in every Google search thanks to their no-one-asked-for-this AI summaries, you can type -ai or &udm=14 in the search terms. Or you can switch your default search engine (I switched to Duck Duck Go, which has the added benefit of being private).
Reposted by Ben Neill
Gymnasts only act like this when they’re extremely distressed.
December 12, 2024 at 8:46 AM
Gymnasts only act like this when they’re extremely distressed.
I saw #History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbon was on audible and decided it was long overdue I read it.
I did NOT notice the runtime though...sweet mercy.
I did NOT notice the runtime though...sweet mercy.
December 11, 2024 at 1:27 PM
I saw #History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbon was on audible and decided it was long overdue I read it.
I did NOT notice the runtime though...sweet mercy.
I did NOT notice the runtime though...sweet mercy.
Reposted by Ben Neill
I just hit the 5,000 mark. I've only had to look at over 20,000 profile to do it. Their voice, my choice.
bsky.app/profile/squi...
bsky.app/profile/squi...
December 9, 2024 at 12:57 AM
I just hit the 5,000 mark. I've only had to look at over 20,000 profile to do it. Their voice, my choice.
bsky.app/profile/squi...
bsky.app/profile/squi...
The most fascinating effect of reintroducing a predator is a trophic cascade... Grey squirrels spend more time looking over their shoulder and less time eating.
Direct predation is not the whole story, nearby pine marten influence the whole population.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...
Direct predation is not the whole story, nearby pine marten influence the whole population.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...
Pine martens return to Dartmoor after 150-year absence
Fifteen of the nimble, tree-climbing mammals were released last month at secret locations in Devon
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2024 at 10:09 AM
The most fascinating effect of reintroducing a predator is a trophic cascade... Grey squirrels spend more time looking over their shoulder and less time eating.
Direct predation is not the whole story, nearby pine marten influence the whole population.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...
Direct predation is not the whole story, nearby pine marten influence the whole population.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...